EPISODE 4: Simon Sheikh, co-founder of Future Super

2021-10-14

My guest on this episode is Simon Sheikh, founder of Australia’s first fossil fuel free super fund, Future Super. Before starting Future Super, Simon led GetUp for six years. Getup is a member based independent movement to build a progressive Australia and bring participation back into our democracy. In 2014, Simon co-founded Future Super with his business partner Adam Verwey. The company has a rapidly growing member base and is successfully disrupting the Australian superannuation industry, by proving there is demand for high-impact, sustainable inve...

My guest on this episode is Simon Sheikh, founder of Australia’s first fossil fuel free super fund, Future Super.

Before starting Future Super, Simon led GetUp for six years. Getup is a member based independent movement to build a progressive Australia and bring participation back into our democracy.

In 2014, Simon co-founded Future Super with his business partner Adam Verwey. The company has a rapidly growing member base and is successfully disrupting the Australian superannuation industry, by proving there is demand for high-impact, sustainable investments.

This interview delivers some great insights for those interested in how to navigate their path to purpose. Future Super’s clarity of purpose is second-to-none. They consider themselves more a movement for change than a business. The discussion was wide-ranging but reveals Future Super’s depth of purpose. Here are some of the topics we covered.

Simon’s view on the role of love and empathy in business
Why Simon and his business partner Adam Verwey started Future Super
Future Super’s theory of change. (It’s simple, but super powerful)
The financial argument for ethical superannuation investments
The shared narrative of the type of people who are Future Super members
Where the large players of the superannuation industry are investing (I suspect you’re going to be shocked at one of these)
The move to transparency and what this will mean to the superannuation industry
Future Super’s investment performance and why ethical investments have lower volatility than non-ethical investments
How the “employee value proposition” has changed and how purpose and identity are central to competition for people
The #notbusinessasusual campaign
Future Super’s unique “for-purpose” ownership model
The similarities and differences between building a not-for-profit organisation and a purpose-led for-profit business